Sardine sizing and selecting apparatus



F. HEATH. SARDINE SIZING AND ELECT|NG APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 13' l9l9.

Patented Sept. 28, 1920.

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PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK HEATH, OF NATIONAL CITY, CALIFORNIA.

SARDINE SIZING AND SELECTING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 28, 1920.

Application filed February 13,- 1919. Serial No. 276,819.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I FRANK HEATH, a citizenv of the United States, residin at Nain the county of San iego and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sardine Sizing and Selecting Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

y invention relates to an apparatus for selecting fish preferably small fish such as sardines into groups of the same size from a miscellaneous lot and the objects of my invention are first, to provide an improved apparatus for sizing and selecting sardines over my application for sardine gpparatus filed in the United States atent flice, January 21, 1918, Serial Number 212,874, the apparatusnow being applied for taking the sardines after they have been turned on their backs and are moving head foremost on an inclined surface to be selected by the hereinafter described apparatus, second, to provide an apparatus of this class in which each sardine engages a very flexible electric contact member when of larger size than the group selected thus providing for accuracy in the sizing and selecting, third, to provide an apparatus of this class in which the sardines may be selected into as many various groups of different sizes as is desired, fourth, to provide an apparatus of this class in which the movement of the sardine on an incline operates the sizing apparatus thereby providing an automatic sizing apparatus and fifth, to provide an apparatus of this class which is very simple and economical of construction, durable, automatic in its action, positive, very flexible and which will not readily deteriorate or get out of order.

With these and other objects in View as will appear hereinafter my invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts and portions as will be hereinafter described in detail and particularly set forth in the appended claims reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the characters of reference thereon which form a part of this application in which:

Figure 1 is a top or plan view of my apparatus showing two units of which there may be any number arranged consecutively; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view through 2 2 of Fig. 1 on an enlarged scale; Fig. 3

pre aring is a fragmentary end elevational View of the solenoid releasing switch device on an en larged scale; F ig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view thereof; Fig. 5 is a top view of a fragmentary portion thereof; Fig. 6 is a side elevational fragmentary view on an enlarged scale of the gate operating device and Fig. 7 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale through 77 of Fig. 1.

imilar characters of reference refer to similar parts andportions throughout the several views of the drawings.

The main sardine conductor 1, sardine positioning spring 2, spring contact member 3, contact member 4, gate 5, side chute 6, main chute 7, solenoid out out switch 8, gate operating device 9, solenoid 10, battery 11, wires 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17, armature 18, switch members 19 and 20 constitute the principal parts and portions of my sardine sizing and selecting apparatus.

he apparatus is placed on a suitable incline so thatthe sardines will follow one another through the conductor 1 and chutes 6 or 7 by their momentum by reason of the incline of the apparatus. The conductor 1 at the upper end is wide and shallow and gradually narrows to a width and height of approximately the size of the larger sardines but providing clearance and mounted in one side is provided a spring blade 2 which is adapted to position the sardine near one side .on its back and mounted just over this spring is the support 3 for the contact member 3 which is a very flexible spring contact shown best in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the free end of which is adapted to engage the upper surface of the sardine if it is of a certain size whereby the spring 3 is raised so that it contacts with the contact member 4 closing an electric circuit which circuit will be hereinafter described.

henarrow portion of the chute I have numbered 7 and in this chute 7 below the spring member2 is a gate 5 hinged at one side and normally comprising one side of the chute 7. To this gate 5 is secured a bar 5 whichextends downwardly and connects with the bar 9. On the one end of this bar 9 is secured the armature 18. Said bar 9 is shiftable longitudinally in the supports 9 and 9 shown best in Fig. 6 and connecting the support 9* with the bar 9 is a tension spring 9 tending to hold the bar 9 together with the armature 18 out of contact with the double solenoid 1O at'ali times so that the gate 5 is closed in the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings except when the solenoid has opened the gates 5 by means of the armature 18 and its operating device. The circuit is opened to the solenoid 10 by means of the switch device 8 which consists of the sardine engaging member 8 which is. adapted to engage the sardine as it passes out into the chute 6 by means of the opened gate 5 and this engaging member 8 is supported by means of a bar 8? to which is secured an-. other bar 8 and on each side of the bars 8 and 8 are secured insulated supports 8 and 8. The insulated support 8 is provided with an upwardly extending .lug 8 and the bar 8 is provided with a notch 8 in its upper surface. Secured on the support 8 in which said bar 8 is reciprocally mounted is a double spring switch 8 the one member resting normally on the bar 8 and the other on the bar 8. The bar 8" is provided with a lug 8 to which one end of a tension spring 8 is secured and the opposite end of said spring is secured to a support 8 in which said bar 8 is also recipro- .cally mounted. The insulation member 8 is provided with slots 8 in its opposite ends which are adapted for the screws 8 which support the same but permitting it to shift lengthwise. This device is for the purpose of opening the circuit to the solenoid and permitting the spring 9 to close the gate 9 when the sardine has passed into the chute 6 and'the circuit must remain open until closed again by another sardine engaging the contacts 3 and 4 and it is operated as follows:

When the member 8 is pressed backwardly the contacts 8 are of such incline that the member 8 passes backwardly with the bar 8 so that the member of the contact 8 is raised by the lug 8 so that it does not engage the bar 8 at the same time that the other member of the contact 8 passes over the notch 8 therefore breaking the circuit. Af-

, ter the sardine has passed the engaging member 8, however, the spring 8 moves the member 8 forward again.

The portion 8 of the cam of the contact members is so abrupt that it engages the lug 8 with sufficient force to move the member 8 so that the one member is raised off of the member 8 when the other member passes over the notch 8 The wires 13, 14, and 12 comprise the conductors for a circuit from the contacts 3 and at through the battery to the solenoid while the wires 13, 12, 15, 16 and 17 provide the conductors for the circuit when the contact is not made by the.

sardine. The operation of the apparatus is as follows:

The sardine passes on the incline head foremost gradually turning onto its back and if it is smaller than those selected to pass through the chute 6 it does not engage the contact member 3 with the contact member 4 therefore passes down through the chute 7 where it may engage the same contact whichis adjusted closer to the bottom of thechute. If, however, the sardine is of sufficient size to engage the contact 3 with the contact t the circuit is closed to the solenoid 10 which throws the armature 18 opening the gate 5 and the sardine passes out through the open gate into the chute 6 however, before reaching the chute 6 it engages the engaging member 8 which opens the circuit and the spring 9 closes the gate read for the next sardine.

T ough T have {shown and described a particular construction, combination and arrangement of parts and portions I do not wish to be limited to this particular construction, combination and arrangement but desire to include in the purview of my invention the construction, combination and arrangement substantially asset forth in the ap ended claims.

t isobvious that with this construction 3 there is provided an apparatus whereby av 1. The herein described method of select-v ing sardinesconsisting in sliding said sardine past a flexible contact to be operated in accordance with its size then operating a solenoid, then openinga gate and passing said sardine into a side chute, then engaging a switch operating said solenoid and closin said gate. 4

'2. he herein described method of selecting sardines into different sized groups consisting in placing said sardines in an inclined chute, then passing them in said chute over a flexible electrical contact, then discharging said sardine after it engages said contact into a side chute, then engaging an electrical switch for closing the circuit.

3. The herein described method of selecting sardines into different sized groups consisting in placing said sardines in an inclined chute, then passing them in said chute over a flexible electrical contact, then discharging said sardine after it engages said contact into a side chute, then engaging an electrical switch for closing the circuit, then closing the side chute passageway.

4. A sardine sizing and selecting apparatus, including an inclined curved bottom longitudinal chute, a side chute connecting therewith, a gate pivotally mounted for guiding the sardine into the main orsaid side chute, an electrical contact adapted to be en- 5 'gaged by sardines of a certain size, a source of electrical energy, a solenoid in electrical connection with said source of electrical energ and electrical conductors connecting sai electrical switch, solenoid and source of electricalenergy.

5. A sardine sizing and selecting apparatus, including an inclinedcurved bottom longitudinal chute, a side chute connecting therewith, a gate pivotally mounted for guiding the sardine into the main or said side chute, an electrical contact adapted to be engaged by sardines of a certain size, a source of electrical energy, a solenoid in elec-- trical connection with said source of electrical energy electrical conductors connecting said electrical switch, solenoid and source of electrical energy, and means in connection with said side chute in electrical noid adapted to be engaged by the sardine for opening the circuit to said solenoid.

6. A sardine sizing and selecting apparatus, including an inclined curved bottom longitudinal main chute, a side chute communicating therewith, an electrical switch mounted over said main chute above said .side chute, a gate shiftably mounted for opening and closing the communicating portion of said side chute with said main chute,

connection with said switch and said solemeans for electrically operating said-gate in electrical connection with said switch. 7. A sardine sizing and selecting apparatus, including an inclined curved bottom longitudinal main chute, a side chute communicating therewith, an electrical switch mounted over said main chute above said side chute, a gate shiftably mounted for opening and closing the communicating portion of said side chute with said main chute, means for electrically operating said gate in electrical connection with said switch, and means for opening the circuit between said switch and said operating means. I

8. A sardine sizing and selecting apparatus, including an inclined curved bottom longitudinal main chute, a side chute communicating therewith, an electrical switch mounted over said main chute above said side chute, a gate shiftably mounted for opening and closing the communicating portion of said side chute with said main chute, means for electrically operating said gate in electrical connection with said switch, and means for opening the circuit between said switch and said operating means, comprising a switch actuated by the sardine in electrical connection with said operating means and said switch.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at San Diego, California, this 6th day of February, 1919.

FRANK HEATH. 

